This fall, the Government of Ontario will conduct targeted audits of large retail companies to ensure that workplace and employee practices are accessible. The goal of the audit is to make sure that companies with more than 500 employees are compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and making accessibility part of recruiting and employee support. Audits will be led by the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure and include a focus on ensuring companies are creating and publicizing their multi-year accessibility plans and developing customized emergency plans for employees with disabilities. Results will be available in an annual provincial accessibility compliance and enforcement plan.
CMHA Ontario works to ensure that mental health and addictions are considered in the development and implementation of public policies and programs related to human rights and accessibility. Earlier this year, CMHA Ontario launched Enabling Minds, a new resource that provides mental health accessibility training for anyone who works in the field of sports, fitness or recreation. The Division is also currently working on a mental health accessibility project which will share promising practices and success stories of mental health accessibility and disability accommodation in Ontario through an online resource.
For more information on the provincial audit, please visit the website of the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure.